By DAVID LEGGAT
New Zealand Soccer boss Bill MacGowan has slammed claims that the All Whites were ill-prepared for their horror loss to Vanuatu at the Oceania Nations Cup tournament.
That 4-2 defeat in Adelaide, the All Whites' worst international result in decades, led to their missing out on a top-two finish
in the six-nation competition, ending their Confederations Cup and World Cup-qualifying hopes.
MacGowan suggested those complaining at the non-existent pre-tournament buildup were grumbling with the benefit of hindsight.
The All Whites had no games going into the tournament. The one chance of a lead-up match against Turkey was not financially viable.
"There was no talk about lack of preparation when we performed really well against Australia in the opening match," MacGowan said.
"Effectively, we had two warm-up games for Vanuatu, against Australia and the Solomon Islands, and the team had been in camp eight days.
"I know how much Turkey would have cost and it would have put New Zealand Soccer on the brink of bankruptcy had we taken it on."
When the Solomon Islands stunned Australia by drawing the final game of the competition 2-2, it squeezed the All Whites out and put the exuberant Solomons into the home-and-away final qualifier for next year's Confederations Cup.
But the suggestion that the Australians tanked the game against the Solomons in a bid to kneecap New Zealand's Confederations and World Cup hopes cuts no ice with MacGowan.
"That holds no water at all.
"My understanding from sources within Australian soccer is that they would rather have had New Zealand than the Solomons for commercial purposes."
The contract of All Whites coach Mick Waitt is up with NZS. It ended when they were eliminated from World Cup running. It seems sure his contract will not be renewed, but nothing will be finalised until at least June 23.
The board of NZS meets that day to consider proposals from its management committee regarding New Zealand's long- and short-term international situation.
But for the shop-window national team, the shutters are expected to go down for at least the next 15 months.
